Friday, 25 April 2014

When I think about using organic produce it's usually fresh foods such as fruit, vegetables and meat that comes to mind, but this months Degustabox brought some Organico pasta and sauce which I couldn't wait to try to see if I could tell the difference.

As pasta is a staple meal in our family, I thought a pasta bake would go down really well. The Organico pasta comes from the 'La Marche' region's pioneering organic co-operative, founded to protect vanishing jobs in the countryside, promote bio-diversity and sustain rich agricultural soil* so it's ethical as well as being healthy. The tomato sauce comes from another co-operative in Tuscany where the tomatoes are picked and packed within 24 hours to maximise freshness* . All sounds really good and I like knowing where my food has come from.

To jazz the pasta up I decided to add some spicy sausage, lots of Pepperdew Piquante Peppers that I received in last months Degustabox, and off course, some cheese to top it off.

Ingredients:

500g Organico Italian Durum Wheat Pasta, cooked

1 Jar Organico Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

Pepperdew Mild Piquante Pepper1 spicy sausage, chopped

Grated cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens), Gas Mark 4

Add the cooked pasta to a large ovenproof dish and mix in the pasta sauce, spice sausage and lots of whole piquante peppers. Add plenty of grated cheese and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes.

Serve with salad leaves and some fresh bread for a simple, yet healthy meal that the whole family will love. The flavour of the pasta sauce with the peppers is simply delicious, and I will definitely be using Organico again.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

I am always looking for high protein meals for my gym mad hubby, so when my Degustabox arrived I was really excited to find that some of the ingredients would be perfect for him.

It's always a struggle to find something to go with meat that isn't too starchy so when I saw the quinoa I was intrigued. I have bought dried quinoa in the past as it is supposed to be a superfood, but when I made it I wasn't that impressed. The Quinola Mothergrain
Express that was included in the Degustabox looked very different as it was pearl and black and it was ready to eat. I wanted to add a bit of flavour so added some cherry tomatoes, cucumber and lemon and black pepper oil. I've got to admit that when I was making it, I just wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it as part of my meal.

I decided to use the Maggi So Juicy Mexican Chicken to go with the quinoa so followed the 3 step instructions on the packet which was extremely simple.

Ingredients:

2-4 chicken breasts

1 yellow pepper

1 packet Maggi So Juicy Mexican Chicken

1 packet Quinola Mothergrain Express

Cherry Tomatoes

Cucumber, diced

Lemon and Black Pepper Oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens), Gas Mark 4.

Slice chicken breasts and pepper and add to the bag provided in the top part of the Maggi sachet, then tip the seasoning from the lower part of the sachet into the bag. Use the tie provided to close the bag and then coat the chicken in the seasoning by turning the bag. Place in an ovenproof dish.

Cook in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, add the Quinola Mothergrain Express to a bowl and then add the cherry tomatoes and diced cucumber. Drizzle some of the oil over and mix well together.

Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to stand for 2-3 minutes before opening the bag.

And there you go. A perfectly healthy meal, cooked with minimum effort that is super tasty.

Further product information:

Quinola Mothergrain Express is the perfect way
to enjoy quinoa and save time! Ready cooked, they can beenjoyed cold as part
of a salad or quickly reheated for be included as part of a hot meal. Organic
and Fairtrade, Quinola Mothergrain Express have won 4 Great Taste awards. Not
only delicious, quinoa is also a super-food, high in nutrients and gluten free!
In either Pearl and Black or Pearl and Red, Quinola Mothergrain Express a
quick,easy, healthy and delicious way to enjoy quinoa!

Would you like to try a Degustabox for yourself? Use code SJZVBfor a £3 discount on the DegustaboxUK site.

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About Me

My world revolves around my 3 gorgeous boys, though any time I'm not with them you'll find me online. I'm just a tiny bit addicted to social networking. I will review products that I find interesting, and will also do some giveaways.